


Three's Company

by meridian_rose (meridianrose)



Category: Haven (TV)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, Multi, Not Finale Compliant, OT3, Timeline What Timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 03:28:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8952163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meridianrose/pseuds/meridian_rose
Summary: Nathan and Audrey have persuaded Duke to enjoy Christmas; seeing the tree, Nathan is already wondering if it was such a good idea.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ratpaw](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ratpaw/gifts).



"That's too many lights."

"No such thing as too many Christmas lights, Nathan." Duke, once persuaded to enjoy Christmas with Nathan and Audrey, had thrown himself into the preparations; if you were going to "do" Christmas then you ought to do it with style. Or at least in quantity, judging by the amount of groceries he'd brought.

Dwight, and Gloria and her grandson Aaron, plus Laverne, were coming for dinner, which had given Duke an excuse to go overboard with the food and drink, especially since Nathan and Audrey were sharing the expenses. The decorations however, in Nathan's opinion, were getting out of hand.

The tree branches were bowing under the weight of the lights. There were baubles enough to decorate a tree twice the size of this one.

Audrey had made salt dough and crafted tree decorations resembling each of the three of them. Tree!Nathan's eyes were slightly crooked in actual!Nathan's opinion but he thought it was a sweet gesture, even if he was also slightly jealous that tree!Duke had been given a pirate theme while his decoration made do with a police star.

Nathan had wanted to add tinsel but he wasn't sure the tree could stand even the feather weight of the gold and red strands. He'd draped it over the mantel instead, and placed pieces over every picture, every photo frame, and the top of the dresser.

Duke switched on the lights, blinking in the glow of a billion white LEDs. Nathan shielded his eyes momentarily.

"If this tree were facing the ocean I'd have to arrest us for intent to wreck," Nathan said. "This is brighter than the lighthouse."

"No it's not." Duke fiddled with the controls and the lights dimmed to a soft, colourful glow, the LEDs smoothly changing from red to yellow to green and back again in a gentle, hypnotising cycle.

Audrey wandered into the room with both hands holding large bowls of snacks. "Oh, it looks beautiful," she said.

Nathan nodded. It did.

"This is going to be the best Christmas ever," Duke said. "Speaking of which, I need to grab my gifts from the ship and then I will be right back to open that bottle of brandy."

"Don't be long," Audrey said. "I need some help with the cooking. Nathan's volunteered to help with the potatoes and I'm working on the vegetables but you promised to help with the rest, including the sauces."

"I'll be quick," Duke promised. "But we said we'd exchange gifts, not least so we've got presents to put under this magnificent tree."

Nathan waited until Duke had left to open the brandy and pour three glasses.

"I think he's right. This is going to be the best Christmas ever."

Audrey nodded. "Help me wrap Duke's gift later?"

"Sure." Nathan tipped his head. "Can we wrap ourselves?"

Audrey giggled. "Nathan! We can unwrap ourselves certainly, but we've got a lot to do before then. You did remember to get him an actual gift, didn't you?"

"Of course!" Nathan fetched a gold box from the windowsill and placed it under the tree. He reached behind a chair and placed a red package next to the gold one. "And that's yours."

He came to stand beside her. "Merry Christmas, Parker."

"Merry Christmas." She leaned her head on his shoulder.

Duke returned with a two large gifts. "I left them in the car," he said with delight, tucking them beneath the tree. "Didn’t have to go back to the ship after all. Hey you opened the brandy! You were supposed to wait for me!"

He drained his drink in one swallow. Audrey held out her arm. He slipped underneath so she was sandwiched between the two men, serene and content.

"I'm starting to wish we were having dinner alone," Duke said softly.

"No-one will stay late," Nathan said. "Gloria will have to take Aaron home at a reasonable hour and Dwight and Laverne are working tomorrow. It will just be the three of us soon enough."

Duke reached around Audrey to clasp Nathan's hand.

"Whoever said three is a crowd never met two people he loved as much as I love both of you," he said.

"I'll take the brandy away if you're going to get sentimental," Nathan warned, but he sounded more choked up than annoyed.

"Play nice," Audrey said gently.

Both of them pressed kisses to her hair. There would be time for more later.

If the oven timer hadn't sounded, they might have stayed like that all night, and there would have no dinner for their guests. But it did, and so they headed off into the kitchen, laughing and teasing, and throwing themselves into the preparations with gusto.

**Author's Note:**

> 2016 Solstice gift fic for rat-paw


End file.
